Death, also in the Inheritance forums
by renegade heavy duty
Summary: Author's note: please read.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Glaedr PoV

He was alone, alone in the dark. Spinning visions of times that seemed important burned themselves into his mind. Hate boiled into his soul. Ashes turned to dust in his rage. His mind echoed with emptiness without the partner-of-his-mind-and-soul.

_He will die! He will be punished! He will feel agony like the one he has inflicted a thousand times over! _

He could not run or fly or stretch his tail. He roared in the confines of his prison. All the happiness he felt had turned to the greyest of ash. One thing burned within him. Revenge.

* * *

Eragon PoV:

He stirred. He looked around him. He was surprised to find himself overlooking the port of Feinster, to his left the great ocean, to his right the city. He could glimpse the small figures slowly rebuilding the destroyed buildings. He relaxed in the silence, slowly extending his mind he let the ants a smaller creatures wash and drown all his pain, all his worries. Slowly he slipped back into exhaustion. His eyes closed, and his mind relaxed. He knew nothing after that apart from the sound of white washed waves crashing against the sand.

He awoke to the laughter of small children. He looked down, smiling. He revelled in the squeals of laughter and delight as one of the children leaped from a low-lying rock and splashed the others with the salty liquid. He looked around him, wondering where Saphira was. He was answered with the sight of a blue dot in the sky and the rhythmitic thumping sound of wings beating against empty air. Soon the children ran out of sight as Saphira appeared above the ocean, diving down to clean her scales. Soon she landed next to him, and she let her thoughts touch him. Irritation hit him first.

_Oh! Eragon! Get the pieces out! _She tried to get the chunks out from her teeth, pushing a talon between her teeth. He laughed, standing up he walked over.

_What did you eat this time? _She looked at him with a guilty look.

_Goat. _She replied. He laughed slightly before leaning in to get the hide from between her teeth. A burst of pleasure emanated from their bond whenever he picked out a particularly annoying spot. When it was close to dusk he finished, and with a simple spell, he took the smell and saliva from his body. Saphira coiled her tail around him and drew him closer as they watched the sun set, the streaks of gold casting Saphira's scales in a deep glow. They did not need to talk; they let their feelings break like waves against each other's conscious. And as the sun dipped below the sky, their eyes slipped closed, and their dreams intermingled. As Eragon hunted deer with Saphira, they were totally content.


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own any of the inheritance cycle plotline or characters. *sniff* You cant sue! please review this one!

* * *

Chapter 2:

_Lash!_ Went the whip as it collided again with his back. The pain was mind numbing, yet it throbbed through his body and pumped into his veins. He moaned again as an unseen voice counted down the number of lashes. When it was down to ten, the whips got abruptly harder and faster, and he could not hold it in any longer.

'You bastard!' he screamed. And a laugh echoed through the cell. A cool voice replied,  
'What? Can't the child stand the pain?' And the lashes became even harder as his shoulders slumped and his vision dimmed.

When he awoke, hours later, his cheek rested on the slimy surface of his cell. He turned his torso, but he could feel the scabs on his back crack, and warm blood began to trickle across his hip. He closed his eyes. _Thorn?_ But he couldn't feel him, and his muscles clenched as he tried not to think about what torture he was going through, but as everything around him was quite, he could hear him howling in agony, and faintly hear his whines and roars. _No! Leave him alone!_ He pushed himself up. He didn't care if he bled. And as the howls stopped abruptly, pain, excruciating pain tinted his vision red and coated his tongue in bile. And as he again fell into his never ending nightmare, he could hear a snake's tongue murmur, 'Shur'tugal abr Zar'roc. You will travel to the varden camp, and you will kill Eragon, and if you come back without his head on spear, I will put you into a bath of seithr oil.' He said this in the ancient language, and Murtagh quaked in fear. _Now I must surely die. I want to die._ And as thorn coiled his bitten tail around him, they both seemed submerged in a pool of grief, despair, and sadness. How could Murtagh kill a brother? And Thorn could only try to wash away the partner-of-his-mind-and-soul's pain.

* * *

To receive a spoiler you must answer the riddle:

'The more you take the more you leave behind'

REVIEW! 


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer, blah blah.

* * *

chapter 3:

He stood in Nasuada's scarlet pavilion, the air around him hot and humid because Saphira had stuck her head in so she could participate. They were waiting for Arya, this meeting was for uttermost importance and she was late, very, very late. Nasuada looked at Eragon, her impatience showed clearly on her face, and she said in a tired voice, 'Eragon, where is she?' he could only shrug in response. 'Can you go find her? She has never, been late like this, their deaths must have hit her extremely hard.' He flinched at the mention of his masters, but he nodded, and turned on his heels and left the giant tent.

Usually he would limit how extended his mind was, but now he reached out, full length, as he jumped up onto Saphira's paw and ran up her leg. As he settled in between her shoulders she leapt into the air and scanned the ground.

_Saphira?_ He asked, an hour later, as he saw a figure with raven hair perched on a tree. Saphira turned her head and looked down. She wasn't flapping her wings; she was just balancing on the thermals, with great skill, Eragon noted. As she slowly descended the being on the tree jumped down and began to run, weaving through the boughs and jumping over logs. And as Saphira flew above her, easily keeping pace, the person below only looked up in frustration. Saphira flew just above the tree line, Eragon jumped down, landing in front of the woman. As she skidded to a stop Eragon could see the woman wasn't Arya, yet they looked alike, and he noted that her features were the same, but instead of Arya's green eyes, she had lightning blue, the seemed white even, and he could not help but stare. 'Who are you?' said the woman, her voice was light, and it was wary.

'My name is Eragon, Eragon shadeslayer' he replied, and the woman's eyes widened,

'My name is Nealin, Eragon shadeslayer.' And she smiled as she completed he elves gestures of hello. A hiss echoed from behind him. And Eragon crouched in time to see a body soar over him and collide with Nealin. _Saphira! Who was that?!_ Saphira landed with a thump next to Eragon and roared. But there was already a victor in the fight; it was Arya on top of Nealin, a dagger's tip on her throat. 'Arya?' Eragon asked in bewilderment, Nealin only looked up in surprise. 'Arya, what are you doing?' she looked up and grimaced, he noticed a long cut across her ribs, and she had and hand pinned to the soil, keeping a dagger at bay. Arya began a binding spell, and soon she stood, dusting off her clothes. 'Now you, talk to me. What are you doing here?' Arya said, talking to the other girl. She only looked at her. And after a moment, she sighed and said 'mother sent me'. And comprehension flickered across Eragon's mind. Arya had a sister!

* * *

Please review!

Yes she has a sister, but the question Eragon asked never reffered to a half sister.

Riddle:

'if a shell is suspended 3 metres above a boat, and the tide rises at 1 metre per 14 minutes, how long in is it till the sheel hits the water?'


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

They both looked at him, amusement flickering across there features. Eragon could only look at them in confusion, wondering why they were looking at him like he was silly.

'Eragon, it is just a little different,' Arya said, and then trailed off. She kept her attention on Nealin, and as Eragon studied her more, he noticed that she had a resemblance to Islanzadi, but as he watched her squirm, and he couldn't put his finger on it, she looked fundamentally different to the pictures he had seen of Evandar, the elven king. And as Arya looked at her boots, waiting for Eragon to find the answer, deep worry flashed across her features.

'Oh, come on!' said Nealin, as she watched Eragon,

'Who do I look like, and you know it rings a bell.' And as recognition flashed across his face, she said,

'Yes, that's right. I look just like Oromis.' Shock registered, and soon Arya stood in front of him, holding is shoulders, telling him something about not telling anyone. When Eragon finally found his words, curiosity piqued within him, and he began to quickly ask questions, leaving Arya to try to decipher the words he was saying.

'Islanzadi had a child with Oromis? When? How? Why did he never tell me about it? Why are you keeping her bonded?' and as an incoherent stream of questions flooded into his head, he froze, unable to continue. Arya smiled at him, amused by how many questions he had.

'Look, this really isn't the place to talk. Your tent is further away from the main camp, tell the guards to leave for a couple of hours. I'll make her invisible, you get her inside, and then we will talk.' Eragon nodded.

'Why aren't you coming?' he asked, she looked at him and said,

'I need to go apologize to Nasuada, I forgot about the meeting, and I must tell her that you are ok, I've been watching you trying to find me, and it has been a while.' He jumped onto Saphira, holding out both arms as Arya levitated Nealin in front of him. She quickly followed after and sat behind him, wrapping her honey colored skin around his waist.

'This will be funny, Nealin hates heights.' Arya said, smiling. He smiled, giving a laugh; Saphira looked at him, giving a wolf's grin,

_I am allowed to make her scream, yes?_

_Of course! Eragon replied, it would not be flying without the thrills_! And as Saphira winged her way towards his tent, Nealin began to scream. 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

He had his arms crossed across his chest, switching between Arya and Nealin, a deep frown across his face as he struggled to understand the story they were both telling. From what he gathered, Nealin was a nice girl, but she had the habit of running away from her family. And even as he struggled to understand why she did this, a question bubbled up inside of Eragon.

'Wait, why did she send you?' he directed the question to Nealin, and her cheeks began to colour a deep red. He turned his head slightly in amusement.

'I might've lied. Just a little….' And as she trailed off, Arya's eyes filled with sadness, and she gently placed a hand on her sister's back.

'Mother did this to me, too.' Said Arya, she directed the words to Nealin, but she was talking to them both.

'When my father died she treated me like I was not part of her anymore, she ostracized me, and when she tried to patch things together, I had changed so much, and I did not put any effort. And when we finally sat down to talk, the first thing I asked her as why she didn't want me, she said it was because I looked just like him, my eyes, and my mouth.' A tear ran down her cheek, falling silently to the floor. Eragon ground his teeth in fury.

'No, she just told me to run to the varden. Never come back. And when I got my things and walked out the tent, I could hear her say that she loved me, I didn't even turn around to look.' Instead of Arya's sad look, she held one of anger. Silence pervaded his tent; he began to message his temples, as he breathed in rhythm, trying to calm himself.

'Did you bring a tent, Nealin?' Eragon distracted himself by casting his mind to what they should do. Nealin shook her head. It was then that Eragon noticed she had a petite form. He had to shake his head slightly to change his thoughts.

'Arya, how big is your tent?' she looked at him, suspicious.

'It will only fit one person' she said shortly.

'Then one of you can stay in my tent tonight while I'll sleep under Saphira's wing, if it's ok with her.' he replied. A puff of smoke drifted into the tent as she snorted.

_Of course, little one, I love when you sleep next to me_. Happiness flowed through their link, and he could not help but smile.

'It is only until we get a tent erected. So maybe one or two nights.' He nodded as he thought about it.

They both nodded. And as they said farewell, Arya bent light around Nealin, and stepped silently through the tent flap.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6:

_What are we going to do? I can't think straight. You know that._ He moaned as he clutched his hands to his sweaty forehead. He looked up, the sky shimmered with heat. But his partner was vividly enjoying the pulsing warmth. He did not seem to worry, it was as if he was in on a private joke, and he was waiting for Murtagh to figure it out.

_Oh, come on, short- legs- round-ears-partner-of-my-heart-and-mind!_ He landed, making the earth tremble. He looked directly at him, buffeting him with a blast of air. It smelled like fetid meat, but Murtagh liked the smell, it was his dragon's smell. And he knew, to Thorn, that he smelt much worse.

_Now, think about what ugly-face-master-Galbatorix said._ And as he began to remember, he smiled.

_He let us through! Oh, Thorn, we have to get to the varden, now!_

_Hold on, little one. He didn't let us through. In his anger he forgot to give us a time to kill and_ _a time to bring Eragon's head back. Small- brain- angry- fool has spoiled his own war._ That quieted Murtagh for a while. He spent an hour pondering on what they should do. And as a plan formed, he smiled mischievously. And like Thorn had kept a secret, he was going to keep a secret. And this irritated Thorn to a degree to no other. And they needed time, but it was short. Three days to get things done here and two to get at least a day's flight away and get to the safety of the varden. And they would never be able to do it if they didn't have help.

_Thorn? Tell Shruikan to beg Galby to go for a flight. We need a couple of hours to get some stuff and leave._ Thorn promptly took off, leaving a smiling Murtagh behind. Mirth bubbled inside of him, and as he began to run towards the main gates to the castle, he laughed. Freedom was at hand, all he needed was time. 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

She walked next to her sister, submerged in her own thoughts. She cast her mind back into her memories, and as they came to her tent, she closed her eyes.

-----Flashback-----

He wrapped his arms around her, and she laid her head into his chest. She sobbed. She could fell his thumb slowly making circles around her right shoulder blade, and she could hear him saying

'Shh, it's alright, its fine.' Her hands clutched the back of his armour, and she couldn't control it, the sobbing shook her violently. One of his tears dropped onto her ear and trickled down her neck as he silently cried. She kept asking him a simple question,

'Why? Why me?' and he fell silent, his thumb still circling her shoulder. And after a while, her sobbing slowed, she noticed how warm his armour was, she expected it to be icy cold. She slowly released her hands, and as she remembered herself, she withdrew from him. But her legs wouldn't support her weight, and they buckled, his warm arms caught her, supporting her weight. He said something to the women on the chair, and he slowly drew her forward. It mildly surprised her at how gentle he was, and as they climbed down the dim spiraling staircase, her feet hardly touched the stone. She could dimly hear footsteps racing towards them, and a low keening from Saphira. Blodhgharm stood before them, his chest expanding rapidly. He asked questions, and they were answered, they made there way down to the lower levels, and she and Eragon released each other. She followed him towards an abandoned house.

-----End flash back-----

She opened her eyes, and she found her sister staring intently at her, sometimes it scared her how white her eyes could be when the light caught the right way. She cast a questioning glance towards her and her sister smiled impishly.

'You know, I was beginning to miss you.' Nealin smiled warmly as she said this and continued,

'That was weird, by the way.' And her face turned serious, leveling out towards her sister. Arya looked at her and asked,

'What was weird?' she let her hands cross over her chest and her eyes narrowed.

'The way you two act around each other. It scares me. I mean the way he looks at you, and the way you look at him.' Arya's ears twitched slightly,

'What are you saying?' _I look at him weird?_

'Listen, I know that you and he must have been through heaps together. I can see something, and if I told you, you would deny it, but all the same, if I was to say, he loves you, Arya, In the CARING way. And even if you can't make it out, you like him. I know it. I can see it.' Arya's eyes zeroed in on Nealin. She studied her for a while, but her sister's eyes stayed sincere the whole time, and Arya sighed, shaking her head slightly.

'Do you want to go to his tent?' asked Arya, she was desperate to change the subject. She shook her head in response,

'It would be awkward' she said. And turned as she undid her pack. It was clear that Nealin had taken over this tent, so Arya slowly packed some things and exited her tent, and angled herself towards the vague direction of Eragon's tent, thinking about what her sister had said. _What if she is right?_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

Night had fallen over the Varden camp, casting deep darkness over the cluster of tents. Fires were being lit and children were returning to their tents. All was quiet, serene even. And Eragon watched in peace as people finished their duties and went back to their families. The stars shone brightly in the coal black sky, and the air grew misty as the air grew cooler. But as he turned to return to his camp, drums began to beat rapidly, and everything seemed to freeze in time, then an explosion of activity erupted as Eragon started to move with the speed of an elf.

'Saphira!' he yelled, she roared in response. He ran into his tent, surprising Arya.

'Sorry' he said, grabbed his armour, suited himself, and then saddled Saphira. As he leaped onto her back Arya ran towards him and swung herself up into the saddle using his wrist. She took off, flying low to the ground. They needed to get to Nasuada's pavilion quickly, and she lost no time getting there.

'What is it?' he asked Nasuada when Saphira landed, the Night hawks surrounded her and she was fully armoured.

'Murtagh and Thorn have been spotted, without an army.' She replied. He looked at her in confusion,

'No army?' he repeated, and she nodded. He shook his head as Arya leaped down.

'Get the elves!' he yelled down at them as Saphira took off. Adrenalin pumped into his veins, and he tried hard to calm himself. He could feel a similar feeling inside of Saphira.  
And she flapped her wings rapidly to gain altitude.

_Are you ready?_ He asked, he could feel a pulsing behind him, and Glaedr's eldunari flashed in excitement. She loosed a torrent of fire in response, and roared into the skies. At that moment, Arya's mind connected with his, and the other elves connected with her.

_Be careful, Eragon. We don't know how strong he is, remember?_ He gave a mental nod in response; he drew Brisingr as Saphira rose higher into the skies. 


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

She watched him take off, and worry clouded her mind. She could hear the elves coming closer, and she opened her mind so that they could join with her. As they connected, she was surprised to feel Nealin pooling energy with the others, and she asked,

_where are you?_

Not far off, just let me help. She replied, Arya could vaguely feel amusement in her sister's mind, but there was no time in asking useless questions.

When he saw his brother, hate boiled into his soul and seeped into his mind. Even though Murtagh was forced to kill his master, Eragon knew that Murtagh liked having this power, and therefore he was a liability.

_No mercy, Saphira. None. If you get his wing, tear it off_. He swallowed as Saphira turned her head and looked at him in deep sadness.

_Yes. It must be done._ Though Eragon noticed that she sounded like she was trying to convince herself.

----

Murtagh was scared as he watched Eragon and Saphira gain altitude, and he watched as they gained an advantage. He fought the urge to level out with them, and he reasoned that they would talk with them first. He wore no armour, not even a breast plate. Zar'roc sat before him, its red sheath gleaming in the moon light. Thorn barely kept in his excitement, and new found energy found its way into his muscles. Murtagh smiled at how immature he could be.

----

When Saphira was directly above them Eragon looked down. Murtagh only looked up at him, and he noticed that he wore no armour, and so he cautiously let a tendril of thought connect with his partner.

_Has he become so confident in his eldunari that he wears no armour?_ He asked,

_It seems so, little one._ She replied, letting herself come down closer towards them. He pushed past the anxiety in his throat and yelled below them,

'What now, murtagh?' he asked, making his voice sound contemptuous.

'You must take us to Galbatorix? Or he will torture you?' he made his laugh sound mocking, and Murtagh didn't reply.

'You die. Today!' he roared as Saphira took his signal and clamped her wings into her body and dived, her talons outstretched and her jaws open.

'Wait!' Murtagh bellowed, but it was too late. She collided with Thorn, and her talons dug into his sides. And he roared in mortal agony, blood seeping off his sides. Eragon froze. Looking at Murtagh with his cat like eyes.

'What?' he demanded, curious as to why Thorn was not defending himself.

'Please let Thorn go' he gripped his sides and pain showed on his features.

'Let us land so we can talk, we promise not to harm you or Saphira in any shape or form' he continued in the ancient language. Saphira still clung on to Thorn's back.

_Let us down, Saphira_. Eragon said, keeping his attention on the dragon and rider that hung below them. He let pride flow through connection,

_I know that you are holding us all up._ And it was true; Thorn didn't flap his wings or hover. Saphira held them up with her strength and Eragon knew that they would plummet to the ground soon enough. He nodded in reply to Murtagh's request and they began to descend towards a clearing that was filled with stones. 


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

Glaedr's hate boiled over when he spotted red-blood-Thorn. He felt Arya connect with young-elf-human Eragon, and he stealthily intercepted the bond they made. Revenge overtook his mind, and without really thinking he began to funnel hate into Eragon's head, submerging him in his own ideas, making him rash and his judgment clouded. Through him Saphira was affected, albeit less.

****

Arya shot off towards where they landed, leaving the elves shocked until they registered to follow. She ran fast, worry driving her forward, letting the wind pass by without obstruction. She drew her sword in one smooth movement as she crashed into the clearing, nearly colliding with Eragon.

****

He wasn't expecting her, and she wasn't expecting him. He watched her try to stop before skidding to a halt, just avoiding a hard collision; she still hit him hard enough that she fell over. By instinct he wrapped his arms around her back before she could fall, and her sword clattered to the hard stone, nearly impaling his foot. Her eyes revealed shock before she could hide it, and so as not to embarrass her, he let her go. Out of the corner of his eye he could see her ears turn scarlet, and as if in response his cheeks flushed, burning a deeper red than her ears. She quickly stooped to pick up her sword, giving a huff.

_What was that?_ He asked Saphira, confusion melting into his mind.

_A speedy reaction to an embarrassing moment, it seems._ She replied, humor dripping off each word. He smiled slightly and turned his full attention back on Murtagh, discarding the thought for later use.

'Talk' Eragon commanded harshly, his voice cold.

'If I promise, in the ancient language, that I will not do you any mental or physical harm, can I show you?' he asked in a small voice, letting his eyes stray to his surroundings. Eragon nodded, suspicion warring with his curiosity.

'Relax,' his older brother said, 'and open your mind.' He did, letting Murtagh's tendril of thought connect with his mind.

_Running through thick corridors, the screaming silence of his cell, the freedom of flying, the plan they formed. Executing it with precision, stealing the eldunari, the egg, the egg? The memories streamed through, washing away what he had said. The close encounter they had whilst running away. Then the encounter with himself and Saphira._

They flashed by, giving Eragon only enough time to comprehend what he saw. When Murtagh was finished, Eragon was filled with questions. The streamed out into an incoherent river until Arya silenced him by holding up he hand.

****

She watched her partner's head whip back as the memories swallowed him, her blue eyes strayed around her till they rested on Thorn. His head rested on his paws, his eyes staying intently on his partner. But in frequent intervals he looked at her. It was disconcerting, having someone stare at you with such intensity that it was as if they could see through your soul. She quickly dispelled the thought, reasoning that everyone stared at her.

_Not quiet in the same way she thought to her self,_ kneading the dirt with her claws, trying to dispel her anxiety.

****

When the stream ended, he opened his eyes. His head felt as if his head had been cracked open from his forehead to the nape of his neck. His vision blurred slightly and he sat down heavily before he could faint. It had a similar affect on Murtagh, except he didn't sit, he lay down, panting. Eragon clutched his head, a moan escaping his lips. Arya appeared before him, whispering a spell that dispelled the headache. He shook his head slightly as it ended.

'Are you alright?' worry reflected in her voice, and he sucked in a breath before answering.

'Alright? Yes, fine' he looked at her and gave a crooked smile.

****

Her heart fluttered as he smiled at her, and she slowly lifted him up. Her reaction confused her, he had always smiled at her, but this smile made her heart pound against her ribs and beat unevenly. She did her best to smile back as he stood unsteadily.

'We need to get back to camp' she said, casting her mind out to what they should do.

'Murtagh, you must camp out here tonight. The varden will butcher you if you enter. We will say that Eragon killed you' she looked at Eragon sideways, and she went to Saphira's saddle, pulling out a handful of berries, she let the juices run onto Eragon's tunic and armour, letting the cloth and metal stain red. Satisfied it looked like blood stains, she said,

'Swear you will not leave this area until we get you and that you won't contact any of our enemies whilst you are near a ten mile vicinity of the varden' she directed the question to Murtagh, and he swore in the ancient language. She nodded and turned to address the elves behind her.

'Two of you guard him, make sure he does not do anything stupid' Eragon was dazed, not taking notice of Arya taking charge. And she reasoned that he wouldn't mind.

'The rest of you, go back to what you were doing, I'd hate to ruin your evening' with that everyone dispersed, leaving two elves, Eragon, Arya, Saphira, Murtagh and Thorn. It seemed Eragon had collected himself when he said,

'Thank you, Arya, I think Nasuada would be worried by now' taking the hint, she leapt onto Saphira's back, Eragon close behind. And as Saphira took off, she wrapped her arms around Eragon, resting her chin on his shoulder.

'What do you think?' she said, mainly to herself. He turned his head and smiled, making her heart beat faster, he said,

'I think the tables are flipping to our favor' weariness echoed in his voice, and he laughed slightly, letting his shoulders relax, they rose higher into the skies. 


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11:

The wind sped through his hair and he let his arms spread outwards, as if he had his own wings. He felt her arms tighten around his stomach in surprise, maybe even fear.

'I am holding on with my legs,' he said as he tried to loosen her constricting hold, he was sure if slightly more pressure was added his rib would break, but he didn't voice his concern.

'You're crazy.' She replied, but she let her arms relax and her hands move up so she held the sides of his chest, she looked down at the speeding land below them.

'It is easy, look.' He gripped her hands and slowly lifted them outwards, he slowly let them go, and putting a hand on each knee he pushed them inwards, willing her to tighten her hold. He could hear an intake of breath, and then a reluctant laugh.

'Whoa' she finally said, and her hands whipped back to his sides as Saphira angled downwards, leveling into a steep dive. They were making one detour on the way to Nasuada's tent, it was urgent, they needed to talk. Not to each other, but Glaedr, because a certain elf, or Arya, had noticed a change in their connection, and in his mind, she had luckily cut it off.

-----

He was frustrated; pointed-ears-Arya had cut him off. He, a dragon, had been cut off. He could have trembled in anger, but he was stuck in his stone- ice-cold-eldunari. He felt two presences enter his mind, and he let them in, their torrent of emotions blanketed his thinking, and made him come to his senses, and the first thing that hit him was shame, guilt, and then sadness. He ignored the consoling words, and when he felt the minds retract, he blanketed himself in his own sorrow.

-----

Where he stood, he stood alone. The elves were far behind him, and the council before him stared at him with intensity that made Eragon wince, twice, Saphira counted. His head lifted, and his eyes stayed cold, unemotional, even uncaring. He was asked to give a full account of what had happened, he did, mostly. Nearly all the members had a few questions that seemed pathetic, almost childish, it was as if they were trying to sound intelligent, they were failing miserably, until a women asked suspiciously,

'Is that a berry chunk on your armour?' his head whipped up, and he felt Arya on the outskirts of his mind, willing to give him a good excuse. He let her voice in quickly and she said,

_Say it is a chunk of flesh. Dragon flesh. That is why it is red._ He laughed in his mind as she withdrew, and he replied,

'No ma'am, it is flesh,' he picked it off his armour and pretended to examine it.

'And it looks like a dragon's flesh at that.' He nodded in utter confidence, and the woman look reassured. More questions followed for about an hour, or until Nasuada dismissed them. He sighed and took a chair, letting himself relax.

'You can give me a full account tomorrow night' she said, amusement in her voice.

'Thank you, I really need to sleep.' He replied in gratitude, she smiled as he bowed and turned on his heel to leave.

'Oh, and Eragon? Luckily they were not paying attention, because your sword is clean' he laughed at this, shaking his head.

'Again, thank you. I will remember that next time.' he turned once more, and letting his arm sweep open the tent flap, he strode into the night air, coming face to face with Arya. 


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:

Arya PoV

She heard a tired laugh from Eragon, and soon after Nasuada joined in as his elven laugh took its effect. It even made her smile, listening to them both, but soon the moment stopped and she heard his footsteps coming towards her. She waited as the tent flap opened and the startled expression on Eragon's face faded into her now favorite crooked smile.

'Oh, Arya,' he began, not knowing what to say or do. He seemed to flounder as he tried to make a constructive sentence. She felt like laughing as he took a moment to regain his wits. She let him struggle for a moment before giving them something to talk about.

'Beautiful night isn't it?' she hinted, at that his eyes strayed towards the dark sky, and for a moment they studied the stars together. Eragon's face was curious as he looked up at the constellations.

'I wonder if they can see us,' he said in a soft voice,

'Imagine, them watching this all play out before them, laughing at what we are doing, at what we should be doing.' He continued, letting his voice trail away into the dark shadows of the night. She looked down to find him staring at her intently, and she let herself reply.

'Maybe, if they are, they would know every secret, every lie.' She said.

_Every love we ever had…_ she continued to herself darkly, letting herself watch the skies.

'Hmm,' he said thoughtfully, and he heaved a great sigh that seemed tired but worried at the same time.

'Is there anything that troubles you? I see it in your expression.' He stopped suddenly, recognizing that he may have gone too far. She smiled at him in reply,

'No Eragon, but you, on the other hand need sleep, I am not one to hold it from you.'

'You I would mind least of all' he said, echoing Saphira's words, at that he turned, muttering a sad good bye. He began to hum a troubling melody, and Arya found herself remembering past nights when the moon had hit its apex, but the moment was gone as Eragon ran towards the large swath of Saphira's scales, and as they flew towards Murtagh's camp she walked sadly back to Eragon's tent.

Relishing the musk that she identified as Eragon's signature scent, she fell asleep, letting her body melt into his mattress and her mind wander into her memories 


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13:

_Come youngling. You are not yet strong enough._ A childish voice whispered gently in his mind.

_Only one other companion shall come, not your bond-partner, they must be trusted to keep a dazzling secret_. The voice said in a hushed tone, he found himself being drawn into a vortex of thoughts, and it seemed a tiny hand was pushing him away.

_Please. I must entrust you with myself and my brother's power. We fear our time is closing. Please. Come on swift feet. I feel my brother waning. Good bye._ The child withdrew, and the crystal clarity that rendered the voice vanished. Leaving Eragon empty.

----

His eyes snapped open, and he jolted upright. His heavy panting filled the air, and his mind throbbed with energy on one side. His neck cracked as he turned his head to the side, and the pain moved to his forehead.

_By the gods. It was real._ He rubbed his temples and moaned. He felt Saphira tap on his barriers.

_Hmm, what was that?_ She asked letting her mind stray over his 'dream'. He stood drearily in reply and stretched, it seemed every bone in his body was going to crack now. He moaned loader as his hip cracked for the third time in a row, waking Murtagh.

'Whoa, I hope I don't get that' he said in a dry voice, staring at Eragon. He cringed in reply. Eragon hated to say this and leave, but the voice was desperate, and Eragon knew he was telling the truth.

'I need to leave. I don't know when I'll be back. I need you to promise me something, guard the varden. Look after Saphira. Keep them all safe.' He looked down at his brother as he froze, Murtagh looked hurt, and as if it was his fault he was leaving.

'Why?' he choked in a small voice, and he stood up, his face angled downwards.

'I can't explain now, but I will. I promise. Will you do it for me? I must leave soon, straight after I explain you are here to Nasuada. Then she will explain to the varden. Keep your guard. Others are going to try to hurt you. See you in a couple of days.' With those words he made a leap for Saphira. As the wind billowed around them, Murtagh heard in a small voice,

Goodbye, brother.

----  
'no.' he said shortly. Clenching his teeth, he rubbed her scales.

'The child said 'not your bond-partner'. It was quiet straight forward.' He continued, it felt exactly like helgrind, doing this, but it was necessary.

I don't like the child then. She said stubbornly. He sighed in response.

_I promise I WILL be safe. The only problem is who will I take with me?_ He asked. She would have crossed her arms in response, but she just looked at him with slitted eyes.

_Me_. She lifted her head, like she wasn't going to stop nagging him. He rolled his eyes.

Pick an elf. Any elf. He said to himself. Saphira gave him a wolfy grin despite the circumstance.

_Take Arya, I trust her. I can only trust you to be a good little man around her. No funny stuff._ He turned scarlet at this, and he slowly unbuckled her saddle.

_It was odd, last night. She acted… unusual_. His hands stopped moving for a moment.

_She just needs someone to help her move on. It seems she thinks you can._She nudged him.

_Now, hurry up. I have already told her, and she agrees, she will come. Meet her at her tent midday, apparently you set off tomorrow.._He turned a deeper red at this, and she lifted her snout into the air again, laughing. 


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14:

He felt like a wild animal, being driven like this, by instinct. All he knew were the constant pad of his feet and the person next to him. The constant tug in his mind only gave him the slightest respite from the day's run, and even then dreams suffocated his sleep. That night Dras Leona came into view, its foreboding walls standing high against the flat plain. They ran towards cover, a large swath of trees with a small stream leading to the massive lake in view. The throbbing in his head stopped as he looked around him, allowing him to take in his surroundings. Arya sat slumped against an oak, her chest heaving, trying to suck in as much air as possible. He waited for a while, sitting opposite her, and submerged himself again into his loneliness. He heard her breathing become deep again, instead of shallow, and he looked up to see her eyes closing slowly.

'I'm sorry' he said sadly, he had never run so fast without a break, and for him to find it impossibly difficult, for her it must have been painful.

'Don't be. Were getting slower, so you must be getting close' she smiled at him, but her face still resounded worry. Eragon wouldn't blame her. He drooped his head, and taking a deep breath he said,

'I think I know where I am going, tomorrow, rest, I'll leave early, ill be back.' Memories of his 'abandonment' of Murtagh flooded back, and he shuddered, he looked up to see a deep scowl on her face.

'Do tell me where you are so fearlessly going.' She said, it wasn't a question; it seemed like more of a command. He regarded her for a moment, taking in her forest green eyes. He answered by simply pointing, she turned her head slowly in the direction, and her eyes widened hysterically.

'What?' she choked, she began to strangle him with questions, and he let her run out of air before interjecting.

'For one, you need to rest. For two, I wish to go alone, I will tell you everything that happens, I promise.' he seemed to be promising a lot lately.

---

Eragon awoke as soon as the sun slammed against the horizon, his eyes blinked drowsily and his head beat with excitement. He pushed himself up and glanced around him, making sure she was sound asleep. With that he took water from his pack and began to run towards helgrind, where he was sure the mysterious child and his 'brother' was waiting.

---

She awoke not long after Eragon had left, as she looked around her, her anger nearly made her vision red.

_No! Where is he? Barzun! I knew I should have woken earlier!_ She quickly pushed herself up and, leaving her things in their makeshift camp, she sprinted after him.


	15. Chapter 15

Sorry about the mix up, my computer screws over sometimes and labels things wrong. : / buts it is fixed, and here is a new chapter.

* * *

Eragon PoV

He knew it was dark, the squelching sounds under his feet made him jump when he thought it was dry. Brisingr tapped lightly against his leg, and the tugging in his mind grew stronger as his hands trailed along the dark walls. he led himself to what seemed like a dead end, but as he opened a were light, he saw at crawling level a niche in the rock. Slowly the sound of chanting filled his ears, and he realised that the people of Dras Leona where once again giving a sacrifice. He quickly crawled into the hole, eager to get away from the unearthly howling. Slowly it turned into a tunnel, and the further he went, the steeper it got. He crawled lower, and lower, until he was sure he was below the earth, and where the were light only gave little light for him to see.

* * *

Arya PoV

She looked around stunned. She could see no opening in the stone, the top or bottom was sheer and steep, but where was Eragon? She shook her, and began muttering words in the ancient language, but she was stopped as a whistling sound filled her ears. She turned around to glimpse a stone flying towards her head, before she could move it connect squarely with her head, and everything went black.

* * *

Back to Eragon.

The ground became so steep he slid forwards, and soon he was free falling a short distance. His heart beat wildly as the ground levelled out into a flat surface and he could stand straight. A soft gold light was ahead of him, and with reluctance he followed, unsure what to do. The tugging faded away as he placed a hand on the golden stone. And he found the voice again submerging his thoughts.

_Push it open, it will obey._

The door slid forward silently, and he beyond it a soft white glow gave Eragon a view of a passage filled with water. The surface was glassy, but in the centre, a beacon of light was beginning to form. He slowly found himself at the edge of the lake, his eyes fixed on the sight before him. He saw a stone rise from the water, causing ripples to stir across the field of water. Soon a small figure appeared, but what he saw was not a child. It was a woman, the soft white gown she wore caressing her skin softly. Her hair bond back into a tight ponytail, and her hands beckoning him to come closer. He let his feet dip into the water slightly, and was startled to find a stone rise immediately from the surface. He walked on, towards the beautiful woman and the secrets she held.

* * *

Sorry about the wait, I have been posting on another site and it's been time consuming. Here's the chapter, and please review, I need to know if my writing is slumping.


	16. Chapter 16

Well, thanks for the comments, and I am glad that you want me to update.

* * *

Chapter 16:

Echoes of voices laughing and the feeling of fingers and hands prodding her broke like waves against her stupor. Then the heavy clomping of shoes against stone that was frighteningly familiar came close to her ear. The feeling of something drizzling down her throat made her stir. Everything went quiet around her, and then a deep voice said,

'Get her chained, even the females are stronger than men.' Immediately she felt something cool and circular clamp around her ankles, knees, hips, stomach, wrists, and biceps. She tried to move, but something held her firmly down. Laughing began again, and soon the blackness enveloped her.

* * *

Eragon PoV:

He reached her quickly, each step revealing a stone that he thought did not exist. She smiled at him, revealing perfect teeth. The smile faded, replaced by a frown, she spoke then, and the sound was mesmerizing,

'You did not make it for my brother, but my mate and I still breathe, but you must move quickly.' She took his hand and began to draw him towards the edge of the lake, towards another figure draped in black. He was stunned, there was no child, and so was it a trap? He could not think properly so he asked hoarsely,

'What about the child?' the woman gave him a sideways look and smiled.

'I can take that form, but I find humans are calmer when I am in this guise.' She replied vaguely. His eyes widened at the implications of what she said. By that time they were at the shore, and she had sat on a rock beside the hooded figure, taking his hand. The hooded figure replied by squeezing her shoulder and throwing back his hood, revealing a handsome face that was marred by a singular scar that ran lightly from above his eyebrow to his mid cheek. It did not deform his face in any way, but rather made him look deadly and harsh. The woman leaned forward, and studied him fiercely before talking.

'You are Eragon, rider of Saphira, son of Brom, son of Selena?' he nodded, amazed she knew his name.

'I am Yawe, my mate is Kuthian, and we are son and daughter of unknown, for we are too old to remember.' She looked at him directly, her features grave and her face proud.

'My brother passed into the true void hours ago, and soon we fear we will be the same. We need to tell you things, Eragon, important things. But you must listen, and we must do things for your payment.' He looked at her, his eyes narrowed.

'What do you need for payment?' the name Kuthian made Eragon shudder, and he remembered the cat's prophecy. This time Kuthian spoke in reply.

'We will tell you in due time child, but now, listen. Learn. And do what we are doomed not to do.' His voice rumbled like thunder, and he settled further into the stone, apparently waiting for Yawe to begin. In addition, she did, her face sad, her tone low, and her hands always clasped with her mate's.

'Are story is long, but I will shorten it, we have little time. My name is known among the elves, it is engraved as a symbol on people. However, I served as not only a fighter for the elves, but for every race in Alagaesia. I kept balance; I fought for peace and only peace. For a mortal king, and an immortal value. However, my kind faded, and soon vanished, leaving me behind. I am very special Eragon. Despite how I seem. I have qualities that bypass the norm. These things you must have before I too extinguish. Kuthian is special, very special. He is a spirit, one that has a better understanding of everything around him.' She stopped to take a breath, and Kuthian's voice started the story.

'Every being has a flame inside them Eragon. That flame is a spirit. Yes, it dies, but only because it must be replaced by another being. I am the oldest of spirits; I monitor the life around me.' He stopped and again Yawe took over.

'I on the other hand, keep the balance, so that he predator does not eat too much of the prey, and the prey too much of anything. I change into what I seem fit. A quality I see and deem fit for you to have.' She stopped, and looked directly at him, she looked at Eragon and said dryly,

'But your payment is this: you must keep balance. You must have the true engravings. Kuthian's price is different. He needs you to keep the animals safe. Not the way that I do, but the way that he does.' She gave him a solid look. And Kuthian spoke.

'The fire must still burn Eragon, or they will grow into savages, demons without pure intentions. Yawe's ability is to change forms; mine ability is to hold deep abilities with fire. The way that I do that, might not take your liking. I sing. I sing fire within people. That is what has kept us alive so long. But soon, boy, soon, after we see your thoughts, intentions, and life, can we bestow these gifts.'

* * *

Hope you like it. Bye.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17:

First, her surroundings were blurry. However, as the drug wore off her surroundings became clear. She was in a cell, clamped to a stone table. The turned her head to the side, making everything leave a streaking trail. The bars were thick, and the lock thicker. Three men stood outside, two of them short and stubby, the other well built. One thing was similar, they were all ugly. They heard the rattling of metal and turned around. They smiled, revealing rows of dirty teeth. The middle one proclaimed loudly,

'Well! She is awake now! Chained and ready for funs! My, girl, we've waited real long for you to wake up!' they all laughed, the middleman rattling the lock. The one next to him jogged off, a wide smile across his features. He came back with a pile of things on a mini table, on the very top a horses' strop. The men walked in loudly, putting the things in a neat line across a bench. The built man stood next to the table, checking the chains. Soon the two short men sat in her line of view, and they smiled at her, there eyes hungry. For a moment, nothing happened, then her tunic ripped open and bellows of laughter began.

* * *

Eragon PoV

Everything was silent. Two piercing eyes stared at him. He found his voice then and everything came at once.

'You are Kuthian? Solembum never said anything about Yawe. Why do you want me? And I really do not think I can do that. I already have too much. What do you mean? A fire inside?' he streamed on. And soon the exasperated faces of Yawe and Kuthian quieted him.

'You know, you ask too much.' Yawe said, she looked at him and smiled. He looked down in response. Kuthian came closer, touching his arm. To Eragon's surprise, he was very warm.

'We need to hurry. Our power will be explained once you have us. For now, show us your mind, we will not hurt you.' Kuthian rumbled. Eragon hesitated. Then his barriers lifted, and gently Yawe came into his thoughts, followed by Kuthian. They went through quickly, and Eragon barely felt them. When they finished he saw them sit on the rock again, this time drawing him closer. They looked at him with amazement, but Yawe's expression was troubled.

'That woman. The one you love. Something is wrong. We must complete this now!' she said. They both stood immediately, Kuthian casting off his cloak. He looked once into eragon's eyes, then said in a low voice,

'After this, you must go to the dungeons in Dras Leona. The woman is caught, and those three men,' he looked troubled, then continued,

'Give into pleasure easily.' He finished shortly, giving Eragon a baleful stare. He stopped breathing, and then struggled against Kuthian's arms trying to break free. His arms held him strongly, but Kuthian lifted him easily off the stone and clamped a hand over his mouth, saying loudly,

'What we give you is what will get her out of there! Now shut up!' his struggles stopped slowly and he looked at them coldly.

'What do we have to do?' he asked, his shoulders hunched and his back straining straight. In reply, they whispered something quietly, and Eragon felt something rear inside of him, making him want to run. Something held him firm, and as they said it again, Eragon shuddered.

'I see in your future that you leave this land. As my last act, I give this to you; only by your own choice will you go. Your fate will be unreadable; you will carve your own groove into the wood of this land. The pain now that follows will be the reason why you will serve the greater good; and as my decree, you and your dragon must not die, though I see in you a trying time. Kill the tyrant king, Eragon. Release my brothers from his shadow.' Kuthian whispered in his ear before making him kneel before him. With one hand, he drew a line from above his eyebrow and to his mid cheek, like his scar. Pain burned itself into his mind as his finger made its path. Pain drained like water down his throat and into his veins. He saw Kuthian stagger backwards, and Yawe took his place. This time, she kneeled before him, and touched his cheek as if to say _I am sorry._

'I see a lot of things in you. As my wish you will keep the balance, through the races; human, elves, urgals, dwarves, spirits, and animals. They will see in you a leader, but you are forbidden to be king. The pain that follows will be testimony to what power you hold. And it will always remind you what to do.' With that, she smoothly drew off his tunic and traced a pattern onto his chest and back, and like Kuthian's mark it burned itself eternally into his memory. His mind burned and his whole body throbbed as if it was a giant heart. His eyes slid closed, and he caught sight of Yawe struggling backwards and sitting next to her mate, they hugged briefly before turning there attention on him.

'Dip yourself into the water,' they whispered,

'Finish it. Dip your head under; make sure your body is all wet. When you comeback up, you will feel different, and you will not see us again. Run through the tunnel behind us; it will lead you to where those people with cut off body parts sacrifice. Release the three people, and then save your Arya.' Yawe continued gravely. With that she whispered in his mind,

_We are glad that you came Eragon. We will never forget you. Remember, we are always with you, as part of your power. _With that she lay down on the stone beside her mate, and whispered lightly, to Kuthian,

'This is all we ever wanted right?' she asked tiredly. He smiled and drew her closer,

'Yes my love, what we have wanted for many blood oath ceremonies.' They smiled, and Eragon turned around towards the lake. As he dipped him self in, the pain stopped immediately, and was replaced by a thrumming energy. He went deeper, and dived, his whole body submerged. He quickly surfaced, and clambered out of the lake. He looked around, not believing they were gone. The thought was quickly destroyed as he picked up his tunic, tucked it into his trousers like a belt and ran towards the back cave, towards Dras Leona.

* * *

Arya PoV

The men changed in shifts. From horse strop to whip to a variation a burning tools and gouges. Then something changed, everything went quiet. The grubby man began lightly touching her, making her struggle against the chains. He laughed in a low voice, making her shudder. He said something about how pretty her form was. Low laughing followed. The man said something in a tormenting voice,

'Now men, the thing is here is I am hungry. I say we eat first, and then we come back and _insert _our pleasures.' The bellowed laughter echoed in her ears as they strode away. She whispered in her mind and aloud,

_Eragon. Help me. _The blood seeped out, making her dizzy. Then slowly, everything closed itself off.

* * *

Eragon PoV

It was dark. He released the two people without really thinking and ignoring there words of gratitude he had gotten to the gates of Dras Leona in less then a minute. He barely remembered how he had gotten inside the gates, but he payed more attention as he slunk towards the dungeons. To his astonishment, no one guarded the inside of the city. All men were guarding and fortifying the outside. He heard the laughter of men echoing down the hall, and he quickly found himself following them into a maze a cells. They came upon a metal door and they slid it open, leaving it unlocked and unclosed. Eragon was smarter; he closed and locked it as soon as the men where out of view. He could somehow fell Arya somewhere close, and he put it down to his new power. What he saw as he turned around the corner made him do something unexpected.

A short man was unbuckling his belt and sliding down his trousers. Eragon did not wait to see what happened next as Arya saw him. Her eyes glinted with tears and she tried to move in his direction. Without warning the cells keys were gone from the door and the door was locked. The men swivelled towards the sound and where stunned to see him in the city. Eragon did not give them time to think. He grabbed the nearest one by the chest, hand curling around the short man's sternum, breaking each rib clean. He did not give him time to scream. He grabbed the man's throat and tore it open, staining his bare chest. With a roar, he threw the man aside, his mangled face crashing against the stone. He grabbed a built young man and broke the bars to the cell by impaling him into the door. The one he turned to was the shorten man, his trousers were still up, but the belt was unbuckled and the front was tight. He looked at Arya. Her body was mangled, bruised, bleeding. His vision tainted red. And the man was pinned against the wall, Eragon's face carved into a snarl. With one motion, he grabbed the man's forearm and tore it clean from his shoulder, the torn pieces of flesh dropping to the floor. He let out a blood-curdling scream, and in his last breath shoved a knife into Eragon's shoulder. Eragon took no notice. His hand gripped the man's face; and this time, Eragon looked away as he broke the pungent man's head clean off his shoulders. The body dropped to the floor as Eragon turned around to Arya.

* * *

Arya PoV

He grabbed the man's chest; fingers curling around his sternum, and tore his throat open. The two other men were out of view but she heard the sound of metal bending and snapping, followed by a whimper. She heard bones crack, then a squelching sound. She felt the chains snap and Eragon came into view. He kneeled before the table, pushing a stray lock of hair out of her face, and surveying the damage to her forehead. A low growling emanated from him, but he did not seem to notice. He whispered in a low voice, just barely so she could hear,

'You're safe now. I will get you out of here. Slytha.'

* * *

YAY! The longest chapter I have done! Hope you comment.

Ps commenting prevents cancer.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18:

Eragon PoV

He looked around him. Arya lay limp in his arms, her breathing hitched and pained. He had slipped his shirt over her before he had exited the dungeons, she may have been mangled, but he wanted to maintain her dignity. He entered an alley, looking into the darkness he studied the space for a moment, then crept inside and began to chant a spell that would bend any light around them. With hushed steps, he crept towards the walls of the city, carefully avoiding any unnecessary soldiers. When the moon was in the middle of the sky there was a guard change, so as they had done once before, he had slung her over his shoulder and climbed the parapet, sliding down the other side. He looked both ways, and faster than he had thought possible ran towards there camp, using trees for cover. To his relief, he felt no presences, and was relieved to find their belongings exactly where they had been before, and the fire burned down to embers. He sat her up against a stone, and whispered gently,

'Awake' her eyes dizzily opened, and she leaned forwards in pain as her back touched the stone. With a frown, Eragon realized the drug must not have worn off, so he whispered again for her to stay quiet.

'Eragon? What? Those men, I was….I was…' her eyes drifted closed again and she slumped forward. He slid his tunic off her body and placed her on her stomach. Carefully examining her back, he saw that most the wounds were easily repairable, but two were deep, and close to her spine. Deep gouges ran around her shoulder blades, and blood was everywhere. He carefully began repairing the damage, and found when her back was finished, her limbs were blood stained. He studied her wrists with anger, and wished he had done something worse to the three men, but he repaired them as well, and soon he could find no mark on her body. The front of her tunic was still intact, but he cleaned the blood off her clothes and body with a spell, and slipped his shirt back onto her. He went to his pack, slipping on a light white shirt. He went back to her side, carefully placing her back onto the stone. He slowly lay down next to her, murmuring a spell that would alert him if anyone came near, or if Arya awoke.

The sound of low buzzing made him start, and he whispered something for the sound to stop. It was morning, and a little bird was perched on his stomach. It chirped, a wonderful sound, it made Eragon smile as the small bird came closer to his face and began rubbing its feathers into his skin. He touched its mind, and for a second, thought he could understand what the bird was thinking, but he sat ramrod straight as he looked through the bird's eyes. His face had a scar, just like Kuthian's. Somehow, it seemed more serious, harsh even. Then he heard it. The little bird's mind spoke to him in a happy tone, and Eragon nearly screamed.

_No like sky livers? _Eragon sat, stunned. The bird had alien thoughts, yet Eragon understood perfectly, he found himself wanting to reply, so he did.

_Not ever had sky liver to talk to. _And he smiled as the bird turned his head to the side and spoke again.

_Sky livers talk good. Especially when you sing. Me go now. Little birds hungy. _Wit h that he flew away, leaving Eragon stunned. He sat up as Arya began to stir. Her eyes opened slowly, and he gently supported her as he offered her a drink. She nearly vomited the first time, but the second she drank the water without retching. He poured some energy into her so she could stand, and Arya looked at him gratefully. He dug a small crater in the soil and quickly scried Nasuada. What he saw made him panic. The tent was in disarray, people were swarming everywhere, and Eragon nearly roared his presence to get their attention. Every one stopped talking as they heard him. And he heard Nasuada calmly say for people to vacate the tent. With that, people faces turned calm and they filed out without comment. Nasuada appeared with a relieved expression before the mirror, and her eyes widened at his appearance. He informed her that he would be arriving in three days, and everything would be explained then. He ended the spell then and turned to face Arya. Her voice shook as she spoke,

* * *

Arya PoV

'Eragon, I can hardly stand. Three days?' she shook her head, making his eyes soften.

'I understand, but there is something that I must fix quickly. You can rest today. I know how we can move quickly while you sleep.' he replied, and he disappeared for a moment in a thicket. In a minute, he came back, and Arya was surprised to see him next to a deep black horse. He crooned gently to it, and it nudged him gently. He slowly brought the horse forward, and Arya found herself listening to the sound of eragon's voice. He stopped and smiled at her, oblivious to the fact that his voice was making her feel better. He helped her onto the horse, and as Eragon began to walk away, the horse followed without hesitation. Soon they were running and galloping at a frightening speed across land, towards Feinster.

The horse ran through the night, but by that time, Arya was rested enough to run, so Eragon gave the horse water and left him in a field, close to water. That morning they were more than halfway there, and so they rested for a while, drinking deeply and staying quiet.

'What happened, Eragon? You look so… different.' he looked at her, his expression hard to read. His eyes stayed soft, and he said in a soft tone,

'By nightfall we should be at Feinster. If not I will carry you. I wish not to tell the story more than once, but if you want, I can tell you now.' He shrugged, tearing at another piece of bread. She noticed something then, as he turned his neck. A black etching revealed itself, and Arya gasped.

'What's wrong?' he asked, suddenly alert. She came closer to him, and strained to see past his just see through shirt.

'There is something on your back.' She said, and she was surprised to see Eragon pull his shirt higher up, hiding the tattoo. He said something again about waiting to go to Feinster and stood up, brushing off the dirt on his trousers.

She found that nightfall she was starting to doze off. Her eyes were slipping closed, and she started to run slightly off course. Just as she thought she was going to faint, his arms caught her and he kept moving, running faster. As they city lights came into view, they stopped, tidied themselves, and Eragon gave her energy so she could run the rest of the way. He stood on his toes, an ecstatic smile on his face. She heard him roar,

_Saphira! _Past the plane, and a mighty roar responded. Saphira appeared as a dot racing across the sky, and eragon's face turned peaceful. She landed with a thud, and Eragon immediately hugged her. For a moment, she yearned for the simple contact, but she quickly shut it away.

* * *

_I have so much to tell you! Have you been Ok? How are the others? _He asked, hugging her tightly. She hummed and nudged him.

_Fine little one. The others are all right too, Nasuada handled the problem well. Now, get on my back, show me what has happened. _They laughed, and Eragon jumped onto her back, he gestured to Arya to come. With that Saphira launched into the sky, circling as Eragon told her everything.

* * *

I really wanted to get the rescue and stuff over quickly, because my ExA is moving slow. Hope you critic, and I value your comments.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19:

Saphira had her head rested next to him, and he could feel the waves of heat that rolled off her. Arya sat on his other side, her face a mask, but Eragon could tell that something troubled her. Nasuada and a row of nobles sat before him, each one carrying a curious expression. When murtagh finally rushed in and sat, Nasuada spoke.

'It is good to see you back, Eragon. Would you be so kind to tell us what has transpired on your trip?' she said, obviously wrestling with her curiosity. He held his head high and stood, his soft white shirt hanging loosely from his shoulders and his sleeves. He spoke then, about everything that happened, and to Arya's gratefulness kept what had happened a secret. Arya had a clean view of his back, and because his collar hung so loosely, she could just see the markings near his neck. She could make out two claws raking at his neck, and she leaned forward to get a better view. At that, she felt a sharp tug behind her, and she turned to see Murtagh give her a surprised look. She immediately drew back, waiting for Eragon to finish. She focused to hear him finish and a man that seemed fat enough to roll down a hill asked him sceptically,

'These markings, can we see them?' he looked at him as if he was lying. Eragon nodded and replied,

'Yes. I myself have yet to get a good view of them, my lady, do you have a mirror?' Nasuada looked at him and gestured towards a wall, towards a silver mirror. Eragon looked around nervously at the people in the room, and Arya realized he must be shy. She smirked at the thought. But she again focused as Eragon lithely drew his shirt off his body. He lifted his arms, so that they were parallel to the ground, and he turned slowly, making sure that everyone had a good look. What they saw amazed them. Six dragons were carved in black down his muscled back, and as Arya saw his front, she leaned forwards, catching sight of the spectacular creation on his chest and stomach. The front dragon was larger than the others were, and it was pictured as it seemed to claw its way up to eragon's face. The claws left trailing marks, and the head seemed to be trying to bite Eragon's neck. He looked down, and seemed stunned to see the marking on his front. And as he looked at his back through the mirror, his eyes widened. All six dragons grappled each other, and two fought at his shoulder blades, one of their paws dragging at the base of Eragon's neck. Arya looked at the reaction of some people, and found her self becoming very protective as she saw that all the woman were staring, goggle eyed, at his form. When she looked back at Eragon, his face had transformed, it was mixed with delight as he saw his favourite creature, but sad as he saw the poses they were striking. One person finally found their tongue. It was Nasuada.

'I think that it is about time we rested, good night everyone.' She left no room for argument, so everyone filed out, leaving Arya, Eragon, murtagh and Saphira. She dismissed them all, and Eragon found himself rubbing Saphira's scales as they walked aimlessly through the tents. Saphira took off, claiming something about not eating in a week, so she was going hunting. He decided to walk out in the forest, hoping to sleep somewhere peaceful. He came upon a small stream, and Eragon sat comfortably next to it, letting his thoughts melt away at the sound of running water. The sound of clumsy hooves caught his attention, and he looked at the bushes across from him, waiting for the creature to appear. It stumbled out, the small dear immediately saw Eragon, and turned to leave. As it did, it favoured the wrong leg. The leg buckled, squirting blood, and Eragon quickly stopped it from falling. He laid it down gently and looked at the wound, frowning slightly. It bucked in his arms, but Eragon slowly crooned to it and it slowed, letting him touch it gently. With a quick spell it was healed, and it as he helped it stand, the small deer nudged him, and Eragon felt it again, the alien thought, and he heard it, the small creatures plea.

_Leg hurt. Now no more hurt. Sing. _It nearly demanded it of him, and Eragon replied.

_Why? Why does each creature need me to sing? _He rubbed the soft fur for a moment, and then the deer answered.

_We talk good, sing. _The deer nudged him harder, willing him to make a sound. Eragon thought for a moment, then sung a small line,

'_I know you've suffered but I don't want you to hide; its cold and loveless, I won't let you be denied.' _The deer spoke again, somehow its thoughts seemed stronger, and the words made more sense.

_Keep going. _It said in a strong voice, Eragon nodded

'_Soothing, ill make you feel pure. Trust me, you can be sure. I want to reconcile the violence in your heart. I want to recognise your beauty is not just a mask. I want to __exorcise the demons from your past. I want to satisfy the undisclosed desires in you heart.' _He finished smoothly, amazed at how good it sounded. For as long as he could remembered, his voice could kill a baby chicken, now the small doh at his feet was fast asleep, all because of his voice.

_Good. You know, if you tried to do this more often, the thoughts of my race will become very clear to you. _The doh said in a cool voice, and it fell asleep. Eragon sat stunned for a moment, and then he slowly stood up, deciding to relocate and test the doh's theory.

* * *

Arya PoV

She could not sleep. It was not because of nightmares of torture. She thought back on their trip, and she frowned. The shirt that lay on the stool before was eragon's, and she found herself wearing it that night. She thought slightly, and her cheeks reddened, thinking about the way she probably looked to him that night. The thought vanished as she remembered what he so brutally did to the men in that cold cell. She shuddered as she remembered the man's sternum cracking away from his chest. She shook her head, throwing the thought away. She had never seen Eragon like that; he seemed so ferocious that night, as if his lone desire was to kill. She stood, grabbing his shirt. Deciding to give it back to him, she walked out, towards his tent. She found it empty, and guessed he would probably be with his guards, so she contacted Blodhgharm.

_He said he was going to the forest, he should be alone, and Saphira went hunting. _She withdrew from his mind, carefully making her way across a plain towards the woods. She came upon a small stream, the small doh next to it jerked as it looked around for something. It darted away, leaving her enough time to glimpse Eragon in its thoughts. She walked further, maybe a hundred metres. She heard a low growl, and she walked faster. She came upon a small clearing littered with mid sized stones. She looked through the darkness, and glimpsed Eragon kneeling before a mountain cat. She looked on, frightened and amazed by what Eragon was doing. He was crooning something, and she crept closer, trying to hear. He leaned against a sloping rock, facing away from her, and that cat followed, totally relaxed. This time she could make out what he was saying.

'_I'm still alive but I'm barely breathing. Just praying to a god that I don't believe in. cause I got time while she's got freedom, and when the heart breaks no it don't break even.' _He finished, and Arya's frown deepened. The cat had its head on eragon's lap, sleeping. His fingers lightly rubbed the animal's fur. He did not seem slightly perturbed by the dangerous animal, even though it was big enough to tear his head off. She crept closer.

'Eragon?' she whispered, wary of the animal. He jerked forward, and the cat leapt up, hissing.

'What the? Arya? How did you find me? Be careful, don't come any closer.' he slowly calmed the animal, and they resumed there position. He gestured for her to come closer. And they animal cracked an eye open and stretched slightly, seeming at ease. She sat close to Eragon, on his other side away from the animal's body. He smiled at her, she noticed that his canine teeth seemed much sharper than before.

* * *

Eragon PoV

Arya sat next to him, slightly wary of the cat. The cat could sense it, and it opened his mind to Eragon.

_That __female is frightened. I should go. Besides, I find my cubs very hungry these last days, so goodbye. _The cat stalked away, head butting Eragon lightly. Arya gave Eragon an _are you crazy? _Look before smiling. He found himself smiling back. She handed him his shirt, and her gaze bore into him for a moment.

'You know, I never got to say thank you?' She said in a small voice. He looked at her sideways.

'It's fine. Besides, those men got what was coming to them.' He flexed his fingers into a fist.

'I know that Eragon. And thankyou again for giving me a shirt when I my own was shredded.' She said mildly. She smiled as his cheeks reddened. He was playing with a long strand of grass, looking down, trying to avoid his own embarrassment.

'Eragon, I saw what you did to one of those men. I have never seen anyone get that angry. You ripped his chest outwards, Eragon, those two other men, I could not see, but from what I heard…' she shook her head, trying to imagine the scene. His face had darkened, and his voice had become seething.

'They did not know what one person can mean to another. I dealt with them accordingly.' His voice weakened slightly at the end of his sentence, and he slid further down the rock. She looked at his form; it was rigid, shaking in anger. He lay with his head propped up against the stone, he continued darkly.

'If you knew how you looked Arya. And what they were about to do! It made me so angry. That man who was about to touch you, I snapped his head of his shoulders with my bare hands.' He shook his head, giving her a pleading look. She sighed. She did not know why, but she felt the urge to just touch him, tell him it was all right. She slid further down the rock, and placed her head on his strong chest. The beating of his heart filled her ears and she closed her eyes.

'You have no idea how dangerous that was, Eragon. though I am glad that you found me.' she said, feeling relaxed as his heart beat on, his breathing steady and slow, no longer carrying anger.

'I knew what I risked. But that risk of losing you would have ultimately been my downfall. Tomorrow, when the celebrations begin, may you accompany me? It would be a great honour.' He said in a low voice. She whispered in a small voice,

'Yes. Yes, I would love that, thankyou Eragon.' she smiled as she felt his chest swell. And he whispered a thankyou in return. There, on his chest, she felt safe, and for a moment, she felt so in place there that her eyes closed, and passed into her realm of dreams.


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer; the song is from muse, but a small amount of lyrics were changed.

* * *

Chapter 20

Nasuada had appeared that morning at Eragon's tent. They had sat awhile talking of little things, and then she had smiled, and told him the real reason she had come.

'Well, Eragon, Murtagh and Roran had a great idea, and it involved you. For the celebration, they would find it great fun if you performed. You can do anything you like; they too will be doing something.' She smiled, and Eragon thought for a moment.

'I could, but I need some time to do it. Can you excuse me from the usual meeting today?' he asked, standing. She nodded, and stood, smiling as she entered the sun light, she said a quick goodbye, and left with her guards. He quickly sat at his desk, considering a small idea as he studied the grain on the wood. Saphira touched his mind, studied what had happened previously. The grating sound of her laughter reached his ears and made him smile.

_What? _He asked, she replied mischievously,

_I do believe that I just saw murtagh about a similar matter. In addition, I would like you to know; he is playing with fire, and Roran will be playing with his strength. HOWEVER, I know something you could do. _

_Oh. I was going to do those. Well, are you going to tell me? In addition, why has Nasuada made my family do things tonight? _He asked, curious.

_Well, she thinks that it will increase morale, and I agree. For the first question, your new ability will come of some use. _She sent him a picture, of her giving a grin.

_Singing? How would I learn something that fast? _He walked outside, Saphira had her tail wrapped around her, and her eyes were closing.

_Well Eragon, I know you are good at it, and you WILL be able to learn it, if you start now. _She said distantly, and Eragon scratched her scales for a moment as she fell asleep. He sat back down on his desk with a new purpose, and as he took out his quill, he started the first line.

* * *

Arya PoV

She looked at her wardrobe, and sighed. Saphira had told her what colour Eragon was wearing tonight, but Arya had only one gown, and it was black, which was half of the colours she needed. It revealed a lot of her back, and it left a smooth trail for the bottom of the gown. She looked at it, and reached back into her draw. She drew out a silk cape, and tore a strip from the bottom. She fixed the fray edges with magic, and tied it around her abdomen, it fit snugly, and she looked at it, pleased with herself. She attached it with magic, and sat down before her mirror.

_Now, how should I do my hair? _She asked herself, absentmindedly. She looked at two blue and black pins, they started as straight pins, then the merged outwards into a fork, so that a person could pin their hair into place. She pinned it up, and leaned forwards, reaching into her draw. With one hand, she drew out a raspberry lip colouring. The elves made it by mixing raspberry juice and honey. She carefully coloured her lips, and began to fix her eyelashes with special oils. She looked into the mirror, and looked at her shoes. She did not have any shoes for this kind of occasion. She panicked slightly, and tried to calm herself. Taking a deep breath, she thought of a solution. She went to the tent next to her, and found her sister. Nealin was sitting at her mirror, fixing her lips. She looked up and smiled, somehow Arya knew that Nealin knew her problem.

'I need shoes. Please.' She said grudgingly. Nealin's smile widened.

'Do my hair you can have any pair you want.' She replied, smirking. Arya smiled, laughing slightly. She quickly and elegantly did her sister's hair, and then grabbed a perfect pair of shoes for her dress. With a sigh, she sat back down, and devoured her time by perfecting her hair.

* * *

Eragon PoV

He cracked his knuckles, and lifted the final draft for his songs. He had spent an hour practicing, and it was time to get ready. He cleaned himself with magic, and took out his elven tunic, leggings and boots, all where black, with shiny blue stitching. He slipped them on, smiling as he thought of how fun tonight would be. He combed his hair, and with one final look, walked out to Saphira. She was sparklingly clean, and he smiled.

_You look beautiful. _He said, pleasure emanated from their bond.

_Thankyou, little one. You need a cape, the blue one, with the black clasp, go put it on. _She looked at him, and nudged him back into his tent. He through it over his shoulders and went back outside, turning a circle so she could see.

_Very good. Now, go to Arya, I will meet you there. Those children, I must admit, are so cute. _She quickly jumped into the air, and winged her way towards the party. He sucked in a breath, suddenly nervous. He looked at himself one more time, making sure he was presentable, with a sigh, realising he could not stall, he walked towards her tent, trying not to hyperventilate.

He came into view of her tent, the soft light of dusk casting it in slight shadow. He straitened his tunic, and raised his hand to knock. He tapped three times, and asked quietly.

'Hello?' after a short pause, she appeared, sweeping aside the tent flap. He stopped breathing for a moment as he took in her gown. She looked beautiful, the gown fitted her perfectly. Her scent was mixed now with a raspberry honey flavour, and he delved into a deep breath. He found words, and he smiled as he said it.

'You look breathtaking.' he looked directly into her eyes, and he was surprised to see a spark of excitement. He smiled again, and offered his arm. She took it with enthusiasm, and he heard her whisper

'Thankyou, you look fantastic.' She squeezed his arm. Looking down he said,

'How did your day go?' looking directly into her eyes.

'Well, Nealin made me do her hair for a pair of shoes.' She smiled, as Eragon laughed.

'They look great on you.' he said in the same quiet voice. When he said that, she beamed. He smiled back, and they turned a corner as they passed a group of men. They stared at her, but Eragon turned his head to look at them, they all hurriedly looked down. They talked about other things, and Arya was surprised to find that he was going to perform along with his brothers. They turned one last corner, and they both gasped as they saw the party grounds. It was huge. Long tables sat next to each other, each one facing a big stage. Six bigger tables where stacked with enormous amounts of food, and six others with huge casks of alcohol. The last row of tables was elevated, they saw Nasuada sitting next to Murtagh, Saphira just behind them, trees backed her, and children played and patted her scales. She would occasionally snort laughter, and that made the children laugh. With relief, she found only four seats on that table, and two were empty. They hurriedly sat down, and Eragon leaned over to say to Nasuada,

'Amazing. You did a great job.' He smiled, and she replied,

'The chefs have been cooking before yesterday morning, they are still very flustered.' She laughed slightly. Soon everyone was seated, so Nasuada stood to speak. Eragon magnified her voice, and she proclaimed loudly,

'Welcome! Tonight will be a great time, and I hope many more come. I have three special performances, and I am sure you will find them very entertaining. Let the celebrations begin!' people roared their agreement, and soon music was playing, food was being served, and everyone was dancing. Murtagh and Nasuada kept close together, talking to each other, he was making big gestures with his arms and smiling, but Eragon could not make out his words. He turned to Arya, she was watching the dance floor, and her fingers tapped along with the tune of the song. She jolted as Saphira let loose another small jet of flame, and Eragon laughed slightly. She looked at him, and her face was bathed in shadow. Pushing back his anxiety, he stood, and said in a courageous voice,

'Excuse me, Arya, but could you honour me with a dance?' much to his pleasure, excitement rippled on her face, but she replied in the same tone, biting back a smile.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Arya PoV

'Ofcourse, it would be my pleasure.' She stood, and Eragon led her towards the dance floor. Halfway there, a group of girls passed their path. They batted their eyes at Eragon, and they came closer. Without thinking, she closed the gap between herself and Eragon, so their bodies touched. He looked down at her, and opened his mouth to ask a question, but he finally noticed who was coming towards them. She found it funny the way he reacted. He gripped her tighter, without looking at them, he said through a smile,

'How many?' she looked at them for him, and replied,

'Six.' And giggled slightly. He looked at the dance floor; it was barely twenty metres away, and he huffed. She laughed, amused by his impatience. He looked at her, a pleading look plastered on his face. This made her laugh even more, he smiled, enjoying the sound, then his face turned serious, and he said quickly before they came,

'Gods help me.' with one last look at her, he turned to see the women barely three feet away.

'Hi, and who are you, cutie?' one said in a flirtatious voice. From her view, his jaw clenched slightly, the muscles retracting slightly, biting back a crude reply.

'Eragon, and I do believe that your name is Minea?' he smiled, it strained slightly as he looked into her past memories. She batted her eyelids again, leaning closer, ignoring Arya.

'How did you know that?' she asked, biting her bottom lip, smiling slightly. He smiled, and leaning in, just as close, he said,

'You have a FANTASTIC reputation among men.' With that, he strode past her, Arya giggling slightly. He stopped short as she grabbed his elbow.

'You know, I love dancing. Maybe we should, considering the song that is next is easy to dance to.' She batted her eyelids again. Arya had the urge to grab her by the throat, and her grip tightened on eragon's arm. Straightening his shoulders, he replied in a very different voice then before,

'Are you blind? Consider this, next to me now is one of the smartest, and beautiful woman in this camp. You, Minea, have a shallow personality, a habit of bedding any man, married or not, yet you still find yourself decent enough to ask other people remarkably degrading questions and expect us to answer in kind. You and your friends can saunter over to that edge of the camp,' he gestured with his arm, towards a particular dark side of the party,

'And find people that actually ENJOY what you do.' He finished, and at a tug from Arya, started to walk the last few metres to the dance floor. The next song began to play, and Eragon took a stance, an apologetic look on his face. She smiled, flattered about his comment about her. He smiled back, his anger melted away, and he said coolly,

'Sorry, you did nothing to deserve seeing that.' She placed her hand on his shoulder, ready for the beat to begin,

'Am I really the most smartest and beautiful woman on the camp?' she replied, humour seething in her tone. She laughed as his cheeks turned slightly red, and he smiled at her joke, glad that she took it as a compliment. With one smooth movement, he started the dance, slowly at first, he led her into a complex series of steps, and she found herself smiling at his skill. With one hand, he supported the small of her back, and with the other, he held her other hand, supporting her as she leaned back and he leaned forward. They looked at each other, daring them to make it harder. He twirled her outwards, and she landed with her back on his chest. He gripped both elbows as she reached over her head and ran her fingers along the nape of his neck, secretly savouring the feel. Then she slung out of that position, Eragon's hands gripping her wrists, and twirling her back into a normal position. They smiled, enjoying the challenge.

'What else did Oromis teach you?' she asked, he led her into simple steps as he replied,

'You know, he taught me a few things. A good amount of instruments, how to cook, draw, and most importantly, dance. You know a proper landing position, yes?' she looked at him oddly, and replied,

'Ofcourse but why?' He smiled and sped up; with one fluid movement, he bent over slightly and used his arms to hold her waist, and using that strength he threw her upwards, catching her again around the waist as she turned half a circle, landing again with her back to Eragon. He laughed at her expression, and he said in a soft voice,

'Now for the finisher, you lead the way.' She looked at him with disbelief, but quickly found herself twirling faster and faster, until the music stopped, and the flurry of movement froze. Her back was against him again, this time, her hands still held the nape of his neck, and his lips were just millimetres away from her ear. The both laughed as they walked back towards the table, she did not take any notice of the looks people gave her, only the cheery laughter from Eragon.

* * *

Eragon PoV

They sat back down, and Nasuada nodded towards them, smiling and said

'That was amazing, you two work well together when you dance.' she smiled and turned around, and they all watched Roran begin to lift boulders, and throw men twice his size to the ground. People applauded when he was finished, and Arya leaned over to whisper in his ear,

'he is quiet strong for a human.' Her breath brushed against his ear, and he sucked in a breath before answering,

'Hmm, he is. However, let us see what murtagh has in store for us.' He nodded towards the stage, where murtagh had three torches, and soon he began to swirl them around his body, creating a blur of flames. When the pole began to slow down, he swept a cup from his feet and took a mouthful; his cheeks were puffy as he held the torch before him and blew, making the drink catch on fire, and it seemed he was breathing fire like his dragon, the red tongues of flame brightening the surrounding landscape. When the liquid finished, he bowed, torch in hand. And quickly hurried off stage, cheeks turning scarlet. He sat down at the table, and put his head onto it muttering a string of curses. Eragon leaned forwards and said,

'You did great, now I am nervous.' he took a deep breath as he stood. Arya gripped his elbow, and he looked down, giving a nervous grin, she smiled again, and Eragon was relieved to see her smiling again, he squeezed her hand and walked towards the stage. With a deep breath, he brought the stool into centre stage, and briefly walked off before he came back carrying a piano. He briefly muttered a few words in the ancient language over the piano, and cracked his neck. He smiled towards the audience, and said in a magnified voice,

'this is a couple's song, so I suggest that any pairs come to dance.' He sucked in a breath, and nervousness seeped into his mind like a river, and he froze. Saphira nudged his mind, and he shook his head to clear it.

* * *

Arya PoV

He splayed his fingers over the piano, and as he hit a note, a jerk of flame erupted under his fingers; he smiled, and began to sing, his voice making everyone turn around.

'I know you suffered  
but I don't want you to hide  
its cold and loveless  
I won't let you be denied

Soothe me  
I'll make you feel pure  
Trust me  
you can be sure'

Soon couples were coming to the dance floor, and dancing to his song, the flames creating a wall under his fingers. She leaned forwards as his words took on a new meaning, and he went on, the notes becoming faster.

'I want to reconcile the violence in your heart  
I want to recognize your beauty is not just a mask  
I want to exorcise the demons from your past  
I want to satisfy the undisclosed desires in your heart

You're not a sinner  
But your innocence is mine

Please me  
Show me how it's done  
Tease me  
You are the one

I want to reconcile the violence in your heart  
I want to recognize your beauty is not just a mask  
I want to exorcise the demons from your past  
I want to satisfy the undisclosed desires in your heart

Please me  
Show me how it's done  
Trust me  
You are the one

I want to reconcile the violence in your heart  
I want to recognize your beauty is not just a mask  
I want to exorcise the demons from your past  
I want to satisfy the undisclosed desires in your heart'

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Eragon PoV

He finished, and looked up at the forest, ignoring people's applause. His face carved a deep scowl, and he saw Arya look at him oddly. He sprinted off the stage, running fast as it reared behind her. He leaped, blew past her, and crashed into it with all his strength. A low growl escaped his lips as the bear snapped at his face. He yelled into its mind

_Calm! I am a friend, calm! _The bear paid no heed; instead, it clawed at his back with all his strength, and Eragon roared in agony as it left a trailing gash along his back. He rolled away, holding his side, and looked at his hand. It was scarlet, hot blood trickling down his arm. His jaw felt unusual pain as he growled again, the bear launched itself at Eragon again, this time pinning him to the ground. He heard someone scream,

'Eragon!' and it sounded so much like Arya. He roared, throwing the bear off. The pain in his jaw spread rapidly down his body, and Eragon found himself leaning forward, roaring a challenge. He was aware that blood was pooling around him, and that someone was screaming, but Eragon didn't care, the pain was becoming too much, and he found his back muscles rippling, his bones popping out of place. The pain washed through him, ending at his jaw line. He growled, he felt something click in his mind. He grabbed it, and instinctively delved into it.

* * *

Arya PoV

His body rippled, and changed in a frantic disk of light. A bear stood in his place, roaring a challenge, its teeth bared in a vicious snarl. She stopped breathing. It launched itself forwards, snapping at the bear that had tried to hurt her. They landed in a pile, tumbling and clawing at any piece of each other they could find. They backed away for a second, surveying there wounds. She breathed a sigh of relief. Eragon had a deep gash along his back, but his body was unharmed. The real bear had a deep gash on its leg, and it limped. Eragon's body blocked the bear off from coming any closer as he took a protective stance in front of her.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Eragon PoV

The bear touched his mind, and Eragon was amazed by how mundane it sounded.

_Done. Kuthian. Like. __You. Change. Yes. Help. Sing. _He looked at Eragon with helpless eyes, and it lay on the floor, ready to die. Eragon felt himself calm, and his body rippled again, changing back to his body. He kneeled before the bear, even though his back hurt more than anything, and crooned gently, and the bear relaxed under his hands. After nearly ten minutes he spoke again, his voice strong and normal, and Eragon could understand.

_Thankyou, cub. I had no intention to hurt the small female, _he gestured with his massive head as he stood up, his leg was healed, and he stood tall again.

_But Kuthian asked me a long time ago to anger the soul singer, so he could change. Thankyou. I was going half mad without his songs. The female is behind you, and looks ready to kill me, I must go. _He turned to leave, and bounded towards the forest, leaving Eragon behind. He bowed his head, tired and weak, the pain behind him making him feel dizzy. Someone caught him before he fell, and healed his back. His head lolled as someone pushed him up onto Saphira's saddle, and the air rushing past him as she began to fly, rocking Eragon to sleep.


	21. Chapter 21

Eragon PoV

_He has changed! He has changed!_ The voices rang through his mind as he slowly awoke. He was vaguely aware of a soft hand brushing a strand of his hair out of his face. He stirred, and the hand immediately retracted. His eyes drearily opened, and he looked around him. Saphira's head loomed above him, and Arya sat next to him. Saphira spoke,

_Be careful, little one._ Saphira said, he nodded, slowly sitting up. He turned to Arya; his voice was hoarse as he asked,

'Are you ok?' she looked at him oddly, and she replied in a soft voice,

'You just tackled a bear, changed into a bear, then healed a bear, and you are worried I might be hurt?' she shook her head, and he smiled wryly. He slowly started to stand, and was startled as his tunic tore open at the sleeves. He looked at himself and frowned. Something was wrong. The shirt was too tight. He flexed for a second and his shoulders and back tore open the fabric. He grimaced as he wriggled out of the remains of his shirt, and looked at Saphira.

_That is not normal._ Thick muscles wrapped around each inch of his body, but not so much that it was cumbersome. Blood stained his stomach and back, and he went to Saphira's saddle to get loose clothing. He drew out a black pair of trousers; they sat loosely and fluttered in the soft breeze. He reached in again and drew out a soft black shirt, much like the one he wore on his trip back. He turned around and looked at Arya, and asked

'Do you mind if I change for a second?' she shook her head, studying his frame. The tattoo had changed; instead of snapping at Eragon's face, it had its head turned to the side, a peaceful expression on its face.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Arya PoV

Saphira brushed against her mind, and she let her in.

_you know, sooner or later he is going to see it. He is not totally oblivious._ She placed her head next to Arya, and Arya frowned,

_I know. But how can I tell him? He is fighting for the whole of Alagaesia, and you saw what he did. He threw a bear twenty yards, just so I wouldn't be hurt._She looked at Saphira, who let out a snort of laughter.

_Small one, if you had been hurt, he would have fallen apart. And if only you knew, he would immediately stop fighting for Alagaesia if you died. It is better to enjoy love while it lasts, instead of not letting your emotions flow. It hurts him more than anything else; because he thinks you have no want for him._She stopped as Eragon appeared, and settled as his hand scratched her scales lightly. He looked at her, and smiled,

'We are marching in two days,' he said in a somber voice, she nodded, understanding his fear.

'Only a few more fights, then everything we have been fighting for comes to a head.' she settled next to him, sighing as his shoulders slumped miserably.

'Two free dragons fighting against the most powerful man in Alagaesia.' His eyes studied the sky, calm acceptance in his gaze. She looked at him, and despised the thought of him failing after so much, after what they had been fighting... She replied in a determined voice,

'You will win. You have the elves, humans, dwarfs, urgals, and now, I think, the animals. You have everyone you need, but we have to find hope.' She hugged him tightly, unwilling to let go. He bowed his head, and wrapped an arm tightly around her. Nothing compared to how she felt, the soft warmth of his muscled arm calmed her, and lit a fiery desire in her heart.

_I told you._ Said the smug voice of Saphira in her head. Arya turned her head and laughed. Eragon looked at them both and asked, puzzled,

'What?' they laughed harder, the grating sound of Saphira's laughter bouncing off the trees.

Eragon PoV

He crossed his arms, frowning slightly, and then finally gave up, standing, and brushing of his trousers. He gave an amused look at Arya's look of dismay, and said in a casual tone,

'I wonder if I can change again.' He gave a thoughtful look, trying to picture a mountain cat. Saphira cocked her head, going deeper into their bond.

T_ry a bear again; it seems much easier for you._ She said thoughtfully, he replied by nodding his head, and delving again into his mind. He pictured a bear, jet black and muscled, and grabbed delved again into the new space in his conscience. He felt his body again heave forward, as if his stomach felt as if it was coming up his throat and the sound of his bones popping out of place and muscles tearing and reasserting themselves engulfed his ears, then everything went quiet. He moved. Front paw, then back paw to take half a step. He unsheathed and sheathed his claws, marveling at how easily they fit into his flesh. He gave a toothy grin towards Saphira and Arya, and playfully bonded from side to side, keeping his back legs planted firmly on the ground. Apparently that seemed comical, because they both let out a short burst of laughter.

Arya PoV

He tried to take a step towards them, but couldn't navigate his feet correctly, and stumbled slightly. He tried again, successful, and slowly started to speed up as he skirted the trees surrounding them. He reared upwards, balancing on his back paws, and landed with a thud against the ground. He snorted, attempting a laugh. And he casually strode towards them, curling into a ball next to Arya. She laughed, and gently patted his fur, running her fingers through the fur near his head she said,

'Why don't you try something else?' he looked at her through one eye, and nodded slightly, he got up, and she felt him touch her mind.

_Don't you like me?_ He said in mock horror, and she smiled at his wide eyes.

_Maybe, but lets see._ She replied seriously. Amusement flickered in the link as he withdrew, and he shook his fur, growling softly. He closed his eyes, and he straightened up, his shoulders popping and his muscles reopening. She shuddered, imagining if it hurt, but she stopped as the sounds stopped, and she looked at him with a smile. A horse stood in his place, and it neighed softly. He tested each foot against the ground before attempting to take a step. He failed. Lifting a hoof forward off the ground sent him sprawling, and she laughed as he tried to stand, and as he neighed victoriously as he stood straight.  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Eragon PoV

He lifted a hoof again, this time successfully taking a step towards them. He suddenly understood what a calf would feel like, and he laughed to himself. Saphira's amusement bubbled into his mind, and he slowly started to walk, gaining speed with each step. Soon he was galloping, running back and forth between the clearing, going faster and faster. Soon he stopped, and changed back to himself. He smiled as he sat back down, next to Arya, and he said in a happy voice, excited,

'Maybe tomorrow we can try a bird! Saphira, maybe you could teach me how to fly." He smiled as she looked at him oddly,

_Maybe we won't try flying until you are comfortable with walking, hmm?_Projecting her thoughts to both of them. He smiled, and replied in submission,

'We should probably get that under control.' He smiled and leaned against a tree, imagining the things he could do. Arya looked at him with amusement and said,

'What are you doing tomorrow?' she asked, he replied in a grudging voice,

'Well, in the morning I have a meeting, nothing special, just quantities and things. What about you?' he smiled, answering her question. she pursed her lips, thinking,

'Actually, I am totally free tomorrow, maybe I will come see you practice, where will you be?' he thought for a moment, considering, then replied,

'Here, at about noon.' They sat in silence for a moment, enjoying the close proximity. But soon, as the sky dimmed further, Arya had excused herself, a thoughtful look on her face. So Eragon settled next to Saphira as she began to hum softly, and Eragon smiled, his eyes drifting closed. He dimly heard Saphira say in his mind,

_Goodnight, little one_. She nudged him gently, and he placed a hand on her head, enjoying the warmth.

Saphira? You know I love you more than anything else, right? He asked, groggily.

_Ofcourse, little one._ She replied, realizing the affects of the alcohol she had been drinking were taking affect on her partner.

_Hmm…_ he trailed off, leaving the sentence empty. So they slept, under the moon and stars, together, peaceful, and content.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22;

His tail wrapped around cool- black- marble- stone- pole. He growled softly, the dark cave only letting in minimal sunshine. He walked over to the mouth of the cave, eyeing the mountains, wondering if he should take a flight.

_Hmm, the swift-small-nimble- nagra are good prey. _With that thought he gathered his legs, and in one movement, pushed upwards, into air. He enjoyed the feeling of no-heavy-ground- pull for one second, then flared his wings, and pushed downwards, launching into the air. His massive bulk glided gracefully along the thermals, and he came closer to the mountains. Once Shruikan had gotten larger, he was not able to eat what the cooks gave him without eating more, so Galbatorix allowed him to hunt, with a few restrictions. So Shruikan had come here, so he could have a challenge. Three giant caves where scattered throughout these mountains, each one built so he could rest without being cramped. He turned his head and looked at his body,

_Stupid bastard. I should be smaller. _He was ancient, but even Glaedr- Elda was smaller, and he was old when Shruikan was born. He flew past a sheer cliff, and spotted a heard marching up a slope. He tilted his wings forward and his tail bent slightly, sending him diving forward. With both front paws he grabbed two nagra, then with his back legs, pushed off the stone, bounding off the cliff. They bucked wildly in his paws, but immediately stopped as he bit their heads off. He landed, softer than what looked possible. He ate in silence, finishing both creatures in two snaps. He sighed, dangling his head. He looked around him, and decided to walk along the river for a while. So he wandered for a while, admiring the flowers, the way nature just grew. He growled happily, trotting along the bank, he nudged rocks, and dipped his head under water, watching the fish. Whenever he saw something edible, he ate it. When he grew full, he lay down on long grass. The soft breeze lulled him to sleep, but he stopped, remembering that he needed to sleep where it was safe. He looked around again at the meadow,

_It's a meadow. The grass is green, and I would now if anything came. _He said to himself. With that thought, he drifted to sleep, and his dreams turned to the hatchlings, murtagh and Thorn, and what they were doing now.

He jolted awake. Char-fire-smell permeated his snout, and he growled. He looked around, and saw a radius of burnt grass around a small, rectangle object. He walked over to it, cautious. With one paw, he used a claw to flip it over, revealing a fairth, it showed a blue dragoness, her body swivelling in the air. At the bottom, in the ancient language, it read,

_Shruikan, Thorn's true name changed when he saw her. Though he did not feel it. Try to come to the varden, we are here, and we are safe. _He studied the picture closely, staring as her body twisted in the air. Over one hundred years, and not one female to see. But what he had seen of females, they were not like this one. He raised his head, looking out, across the mountains.

_Thankyou, hatchlings, I am coming! _With that, he gouged the ground as he took off, flying swiftly across the sky. He was between orthiad and Oberon, and he angled himself facing towards belatona, filled with hope. He flapped hard and fast, driving forward at a frightening rate. The wind carved away from his body as he sped forward, by evening, he would be with the varden, hopefully, on the new rider's side.

* * *

Due to lack of comments, I might stop posting here. sorry, but the main idea of me posting here is for a well rounded critic, and it isn't happening here.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23:

As the sun dipped below the edge of the sky, Shruikan saw the varden. He roared, letting the sound echo against the sky. He waited before he extended his mind towards the varden, sweeping across it in a wave. As he neared the edge, he froze. He stopped flapping, and dropped twenty feet before fixing his wings. As two dragons launched into the sky, he landed, folding his wings in a daze. Feinster's walls hid the city, but he knew that the mind he felt was coming closer, and he looked up in anticipation. As the blue dragoness descended, he cast his mind out, saying in the ancient language,

_I mean no __harm; I am here to help the varden. _The male elf responded,

_How? _Shruikan heard a small tinge of curiosity in the youngling's voice, and he replied,

_Murtagh helped me change my name. I will explain, but would you land? _The elf and dragon obliged, landing lightly in front of him. He lay on his stomach, and placed his head on the floor, so that he did not tower above them. A moment later, Thorn landed, and he happily sat next to him, lying down. The elf leapt down, and was followed closely by another elf, which drew her sword. Amused, Shruikan touched her mind. He froze. Without thinking, he swept her off the ground, picking her up gently in his paws. She struggled, and the two other dragons leapt towards him. He swept them aside with his tail, and roared, closing his paw gently and holding the elf against his scaly chest. He snarled, letting the two dragons up, and looked at the elf on the ground.

_Im not doing anything bad. _He said, the elf nodded, and stood back slightly. He opened his paw, and held the elf at eye level. She was slightly dishevelled, but above all she looked angry. He brushed lightly against her mind, in silent wonder, she let him in, and he said quietly.

_What is your name? _He was shocked. This person standing before him was someone he thought was dead.

_Arya. _The voice echoed in his mind, and he said,

_Small one, if I told you something, would you promise me something? _Arya shrunk from the contact slightly, but she stood tall,

_What is it?_

_Don't be disgusted. _

_Alright……. _Her mind trailed wisps of confusion, and he set her down gently against the soil, but she still stood on his paw.

_Galbatorix did not kill my rider. She's still alive. Now I understand why he has been so desperate to catch you. _He sat on his hunches, still holding her in his paw. Realization hitting him like cold water. Arya looked at him oddly, and aloud she said,

'What?' she looked shocked at what he had said. He looked at her in happiness.

_I knew it was supposed to feel different! _He turned serious. _But you will now have me. I am a traitor. And that's fine, I understand. _he placed her gently on the ground, his head hanging low in sadness. She sat, frozen, shocked at what he was saying. She swallowed hard, looking up as a tear rolled down his face. She didn't move off his limp paw. He felt her brush lightly against his mind.

_Really?_

_Yes, but its ok. You don't have to- _she interrupted him,

_Shruikan. Is it a possibility that you are wrong? _

_No, small one. If I let the magic that im holding now, you will have that silver-shiny-mark. _She was silent, thinking hard.

_We can do this, I think. But it might be hard. _Shruikan lifted his head. and he said in a shaky tone,

_This might hurt, put your palm out. _She sucked a breath in, and placed a hand on his snout. With a burst of light, she fell, and he caught her, gently laying her between his shoulder blades. With a final look at the beings below him, he said,

_We will be back midday tomorrow. She will explain. _With that he launched into the sky, small one fitting easily between his shoulders. He oriented himself towards a large clearing, and he flew slowly, enjoying his first real flaps of freedom.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24;

Something tugged against her thoughts, the solid link shoving her out of her sleep. With a jolt, she awoke, and found herself lazily gliding against the wind. She sat upon Shruikan, who had turned his massive head to look at her through intent eyes. She gripped the spike before her as he angled downwards, tilting slightly. Much to her surprise, he landed with a soft thud, his bulk lightly hitting the ground despite his weight. He curled up, laying his head on his paws. She stood a few metres away, not knowing what to do. He thought for a moment, then slowly reached forward and wrapped his tail around her, pulling her closer towards him. He placed his head next to her, and she awkwardly began stroking his brow, smiling slightly as he hummed at the feeling. She froze as his pleasure emanated from their link, and he looked at her saying,

_We better get used to that, it will happen much more often._ She nodded sheepishly, again stroking his brow.

_What are we supposed to do?_ She asked him, he looked at her through a large eye,

I'm just as new at this as you are. We'll make it through; we are a rider and dragon. She smiled, comforted by the new voice in her head.

Small one, do you have any questions? He asked her, she thought then said,

_What did you tell Eragon before we flew off?_ She asked him, he looked at her with what would be a disbelieving stare.

_The elf__was Eragon?_ He lifted his head to look down at her,

Yes, he was changed during the blood oath celebration. He nodded, and answered,

_I told him we would be back midday tomorrow, and that you would explain._ He lay back down, closing his eyes, and continued,

_Are you comfortable with sharing dreams?_ His eye opened, she bit her bottom lip,

_Yes._ He closed his eyes, and he let their full link through. She gasped as his weariness washed over her. And her eyelids dropped closed. As she fell into her dreaming state, his dreams mingled with hers, and the fell deeper into their trance.


	25. Chapter 24 part one and two together

Chapter 24;

Something tugged against her thoughts, the solid link shoving her out of her sleep. With a jolt, she awoke, and found herself lazily gliding against the wind. She sat upon Shruikan, who had turned his massive head to look at her through intent eyes. She gripped the spike before her as he angled downwards, tilting slightly. Much to her surprise, he landed with a soft thud, his bulk lightly hitting the ground despite his weight. He curled up, laying his head on his paws. She stood a few metres away, not knowing what to do. He thought for a moment, then slowly reached forward and wrapped his tail around her, pulling her closer towards him. He placed his head next to her, and she awkwardly began stroking his brow, smiling slightly as he hummed at the feeling. She froze as his pleasure emanated from their link, and he looked at her saying,

_We better get used to that, it will happen much more often._ She nodded sheepishly, again stroking his brow.

_What are we supposed to do?_ She asked him, he looked at her through a large eye,

I'm just as new at this as you are. We'll make it through; we are a rider and dragon. She smiled, comforted by the new voice in her head.

Small one, do you have any questions? He asked her, she thought then said,

_What did you tell Eragon before we flew off?_ She asked him, he looked at her with what would be a disbelieving stare.

_The elf was Eragon?_ He lifted his head to look down at her,

Yes, he was changed during the blood oath celebration. He nodded, and answered,

_I told him we would be back midday tomorrow, and that you would explain._ He lay back down, closing his eyes, and continued,

_Are you comfortable with sharing dreams?_ His eye opened, she bit her bottom lip,

_Yes._ He closed his eyes, and he let their full link through. She gasped as his weariness washed over her. And her eyelids dropped closed. As she fell into her dreaming state, his dreams mingled with hers, and the fell deeper into their trance.

He looked up warily as the black dragon appeared above the horizon. Arya softly brushed against his mind, and he granted her entrance, easily letting their minds touch. He was unaccustomed to the large mind linked to her, but he asked anyway,

_Is everything alright? _He watched as they landed in a clearing away from camp. He lightly began to jog, and she answered,

_Yes, did you- _

_Yes. She knows, we should have no issues. _He started running faster. And soon he was free of the camp. Saphira soared above him, the sound of her wings humming slightly in the air. As Eragon came into view, he could see Arya sitting on Shruikan's snout, leaning against him, slowly stroking the tip of his tail in her lap. She looked up and smiled at him, and he drew closer. And he stopped close to the dragon's head. Bowing, he said,

'I am Eragon, rider of Saphira.' Arya leaped down, landing lightly. With a puff of smoke, Shruikan said,

_It is a pleasure to finally meet you. I am Shruikan, dragon of Arya. _He nodded towards Eragon, as Arya jumped off. With a shuffle of wings, the dragon continued,

_I must go hunt, I will see you all tomorrow. _He turned to Saphira,

_Wold you like to accompany me? I would like to learn about the last female dragon. _He asked, slightly shy. Saphira looked at Eragon, and he nodded with a smile. They both took off, twirling around each other playfully. He smiled as he watched them, and he turned to Arya, her eyes flicked towards the dragons quickly as he turned, and he gave her an odd look. Shrugging, he asked,

'So many things to think about. Hungry?' he asked coolly, and she nodded, her face was slightly dazed, as if she just realized what was happening. He half smiled, and tugged gently at her sleeve. She smiled back at him and they walked quietly towards the varden. Walking into his tent, he threw her an apple, and she caught it, slightly distracted. With a frown, Eragon asked,

'What's wrong?' She shook her head slightly and said,

'I'm sorry, I need to go.' With that she left, swiftly walking out of his tent. He stood ready to go after her, but he stopped, realizing she needed time alone. He gingerly rubbed the nape of his neck, sighing, and he looked around his tent, hoping for something to do. His eyes lay upon the red apple Arya was about to eat, and taking it as a sign, he scooped it up, and left the tent, following Arya.

Eragon found himself far from the varden camp, Arya just in his line of view. She was running, the soft puffs of air splaying across the ground she sprinted across. He sped up, slowly drawing closer. She veered off the plane, into a cluster of trees, and Eragon slowed to a walk as he made his way through the damp forest, following her swift form. He stopped on the edge of the tiny spot she kneeled in, and he knelt down, below the ferns. He was surprised to see a single tear run down her cheek, solitary and alone, leaving a sparkling trial down her face. She gave a muffled sob, and she said,

'Just need time alone. Need time to think.' Eragon swallowed hard, fighting the urge to go to her, and gently stepped back, going back to where he came.

He slowly stepped back into his tent, resolving to see Arya later. He flopped onto his bed, and slid his shirt off before laying down, steadily floating into dreams. it was an hour or two later that he heard Arya walk past his tent, probably picking her way towards her own, but he cracked an eye open as her foot steps stopped near his tent flap. He heard give out a shuttering breath before she knocked lowly on his tent flap. He opened his eyes and said,

'Yes, come in.' she entered as he lit a candle with a muttered word, and sat next to him, causing the mattress to bend under the new weight. She sighed, and said,

'I just wanted to ask a few questions, Eragon, is that alright?' he nodded, still slightly drowsy, but she continued.

'It's about what is going to happen. How and what are we going to train about? I know I am competent in history, and magic. But I have no idea what a rider would train for.' By the end of her sentence, her head was bowed, and she found herself tracing his stomach through the blanket. He sat up, propping up on his elbows. She immediately withdrew as she realized he was shirtless. He smiled, and said,

'Well, right now, we need to teach you how to complete aerial combat. Maybe a few instruments and you can spar every morning with me or one of the elves.' She looked thoughtful, and she said lowly, looking down,

'Eragon? I know it isn't appropriate, but can I stay here tonight? I think things are happening a bit fast.' She sat glumly on his bed, and he said thoughtfully,

'Hmm, alright, I'll just get some spare blankets, ill sleep on the ground.' He sat up in his cot, running a hand through his tussled hair. He looked gently at Arya, she bit her bottom lip, and two of her fingers pressed against his bare chest, pushing him back down. She said in a whisper,

'no, Eragon, can I stay with you in your bed… just tonight..' she trailed off, slowly leaning forward, and she clumsily wrapped her arms around his torso, and, not knowing what to say, he simply drew her closer, her cold hands warming gently against his torso. He gently covered her with the blanket, and she kicked her boots off, and they fell to the ground. He shivered as her cool face buried into his shoulder.

'Sorry' she whispered, smiling against his skin.

'How did you get so cold?' he asked, gently rubbing her arm to warm her. She moved closer, her toes pressing against his legs. She shrugged, and he shivered at the coolness of her skin. He said lowly,

'Goodnight, Arya.' Her breathing deepened and her arms wrapped loosely around him, holding him in place. Looking down at her sleeping form, he softly brushed his lips against her brow, in sleeping response; she nuzzled his shoulder, pressing closer towards him. He settled into a new position, and gently drifted into his dreams. One thing echoing in his mind;

_Goodnight… my love._


	26. Chapter 26

Well, this is an author's note, so please read.

Right now, I am organising a yearbook fundraiser for the school, and so I am pretty pressed for time. Right now, only half of the chapter is done, and is on freeze due to severe writer's block. I am pretty sure I am going to restart the chapter, so I am sorry for the wait.

In the meanwhile, a friend of mine has a forum, and I think you should check it out.

.net/

And I have just made a forum, so please check mine out, it has an arcade, chat, blog, and is pretty fun. Please sign up and post.

.com/forum/


	27. Chapter 27

Well, hi, another authors note. Right now, The chapter is barely started, probably because of my laziness and this awesome forum I go on. Now, seeing as though I have an idea for the other chapter, I will get started on it, on one condition! Check out this forum, register if you want, post your fanfics, critique them too, it's awesome, people are nice, and it's pretty cool!

B a t t le z o n e. f o r u m o t i o n. n e t

(without the spaces) seriously, check it out, meanwhile, I'll write this chapter, try this site out!


End file.
